GENERAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES: A counselor promotes and enhances the learning process, facilitates student development in three broad areas: Academic Development, Career Development, and Personal/Social Development; provides the elements for all students to achieve success in school; continuously assesses their students’ needs, identifies barriers and obstacles that may be hindering success, and also advocates for programmatic efforts to eliminate these barriers. The emphasis is on success for all students, not only those students who are motivated, supported and ready to learn. The counselor will assist students in understanding and seeking solutions to social, emotional, or academic problems and issues and works collaboratively with parents and staff to ensure progress; serves as a resource pertaining to student behavior management, learning strategies, welfare and attendance problems, and implements counseling goals in conjunction with parents and staff. Implements strategies and activities to support and maximize each student’s learning ability; employs strategies to help students achieve and understand the relationship of academics to the world of work; establishes plans for students to acquire skills, attitudes, and knowledge that will help them make a successful transition from school to the world of work; develops a plan for students to grow personally and socially as they progress through adulthood; helps students acquire skills, attitudes and knowledge to understand and respect self and others; establishes a means in which all students can be monitored by all staff to ensure their success as they progress through school. KNOWLEDGE OF: National Counseling Standards; principles methods, techniques, strategies, and trends in educational, career, social and emotional counseling; applicable aptitude, interest, and achievement appraisal instruments, techniques and procedures; social and youth service agencies in the local area; program evaluation and research strategies; appropriate curriculum and instructional programs for students with various aptitudes and interests. EDUCATION: Possession of a valid California Pupil Personnel Services credential; Master’s Degree from an accredited institution of higher learning. Possession of MSW, MFT or LCSW is highly desirable. EXPERIENCE: At least two years of successful school counseling is highly desirable; classroom teaching experience is preferred. ABILITIES: Assists students, staff, and parents in analyzing and developing solutions to behavioral, educational, social, and emotional concerns; effectively utilizes a variety of individual and group testing strategies; works with site and District personnel, parents, social and youth service agencies in resolving student problems; effectively participate in the planning and implementation of school guidance and curricular programs; highly organized and good communication skills are required.